who is credited with the invention of the softbox?

[summerleif]

<p>How is credited with inventing the softbox?<br>

What year was the softbox invented, some time in the 1960s?<br>

Please provide authoritative citations.</p>

[john tonai]

<p>Are you talking about the collapsible ones or just a softbox? I've seen photos of fixed wooden softboxes that were from the early 50's. These were home made units. I don't have the photos, but the date for softboxes go back at least that far</p>

[john tonai]

<p>Forgot to mention that Gary Regester, who started Chimera and Plume has stated that in 1979, he worked with Tom Frost to design the modern softbox-based on tent technology.</p>

<p>http://www.plumeltd.com/bio.html</p>

[summerleif]

<p>Yours is a good answer and you raise good questions.<br>

I suppose the U.S. patent office probably has some good answers, being able to reveal who filed the first patents for what is now the portable tent softbox.<br>

It does seem like the early efforts at portable tent softboxes began in the 1960s.</p>

<p> </p>

[jcoffin]

<p>US Patent number 2,205,860 shows a portable tent-like more-or-less softbox (in both rectangular and octagonal varieties). This patent was filed September 29, 1939.</p>

<p>I should add that while this shows tent-like construction, the lighting itself looks closer to a beauty dish than a soft box -- there's a reflector directly in front of the bulb to reflect light back at the "dish" part and prevent hot-spots. As far as I can see, it doesn't show any diffuser cloth across the front.</p>

[bob_bill]

<p>Great question, Summer.</p>

[jcuknz]

<p>Surely the origin of the soft box comes from the blinds photographers used to cover the windows in the roof of their studio.</p>

[John G.]

<p>The first times i started using soft boxes was in NYC in the late 70's. Back then we bought them hand made from a guy at the Flash Clinic. Then we made our own out of foam core.</p>

[dhbebb]

<p>Enclosed softBOXES can only work with strobes, since cooling is a problem with continuous lighting. Soft LIGHTS are as old as artificial lighting itself - here's one from 1913:<br /><a href="http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Lighting">http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Lighting</a><br />(They probably existed for 20 or 30 years before this).</p>

[brooks short]

<p>I used to make soft boxes back in the late 1970's out of foam-core and translum. We'd hang them by their corners from the ceiling using pulleys and cord.</p>

<p>I have a metal 24" square hard-box made by ColorTran from the early 1960's. It has a slot for spun glass front diffusion and uses a single 1000 w quartz bulb facing back into the white interior of the box. They were and probably still are common in some TV studios.</p>

[Alan Marcus]

<p>Many lighting innovations have come from the movie industry. I believe the soft box stems from what the movie industry call "broads" A broad light sources cast soft and indistinct shadows. Broads do not strictly obey the law of the inverse square therefore the principle subject can move about altering lamp-to-subject distance without inducing any appreciable exposure change. When the florescent tube came on the market, the motion picture industry adopted" broads" comprised on banks of florescent tubes. The mass-market portrait industry adopted banks of florescent tubes in the 1940's. Their use standardized the lighting setup reducing the skills required of the camera operator. Color balance is not a concern if you are using black & white materials.</p>

[jay_drew]

<p ><a href="http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Lighting" target="_blank">h</a><a href="http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Lighting" target="_blank">ttp://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Lighting</a></p>

<p >I wouldn't be the least bit surprised that they existed in 1913, but I don't think, in all honesty that the tall light shown in the drawing, could be called a "Softbox".</p>

<p >What I do know is that when I arrived in Chicago in 1964, the better photographers were lighting mostly w/ diffusion. Either bounce or diffusion plastic mounted on large wooden studio produced frames (lg. being 4' X 6') & down to smaller (say 18' X18") w/ translucent plastic stapled to the frames. They were also using white painted flats either mounted on wheels, or not mounted (The largest I think some were an 4 X 8 Ft plywood, but some times several would be used beside one another)</p>

<p >This I also know that Belcar made a unit that had an extendable pole & a flash head that worked w/ their umbrella.</p>

<p >It wasn't uncommon to see a frame of diffusion plastic sheeting that had a hole burned in it from a hot light repaired w/ more sheeting pinned to it w/ clothing stylists straight sewing pins.</p>

<p >The hacks tended to light w/ straight undiffused lights, & often ended up chasing their own tail by adding more & more lights to kill unwanted shadows. I saw some w/ as many as 7 or so direct hot lights.</p>

<p >A common throw away line was "Shoot it before it melts" Many times it didn't matter for product shots, as they were "striped" IIRC. Stripped meant that an artist would cut just, w/ small blades like Exacto, the shape of the product out of the transparency & attach it to the page that would become the original for a page of advertising. I remember one 'stripper' who was a stone cold alcoholic. (He'd get so drunk that He'd stop his beautiful new Pontiac in the middle of Michigan Ave, for no reason, on the way to "Old Town" bars after parties @ the studio.) I always wondered how the hell he did it. (Cut objects from transparencies) Must have had nerves of steel. I couldn't have cut out a product shot stone sober w/o a hang over.</p>

<p >In any case I really don't see how the 'Soft Box' could have had a time of invention.</p>

<p >I suspect manufactured 'Soft Boxes' just evolved.</p>

<p >Best, JD</p>

[nathan_stiles]

<p>Feels like someone has an essay in school to do *lol*. Didn't google invent the method to find this info?</p>

[cjbroadbent]

<p>Renato Gozzano. <a href="http://www.prior-ip.com/patent/23629961/diffused-light-reflecting-screen-for-taking-photos-and-the-like">Add this to the essay</a>. It was filed in 1975. It was an unwieldy collapsible. I used one frequently on location in the eighties. </p>

[john tonai]

<p>Nathan, did you try a google search on the subject? You won't find your answer easily.</p>

 

[summerleif]

<p>Nathan: No I don't have a "school" paper to write!<br /><br />Most people here in the know, know I have been around photo.net for years.<br>

I won't even bother getting into my studio photography resume.</p>

<p>Anyway, thanks John Tonai, for providing the best, and apparently only, answer so far that is supported by a powerful reference!<br>

<a href="http://www.plumeltd.com/bio.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.plumeltd.com/bio.html</a></p>

<p>Given the nature of some of the answers, I suppose I should have been more specific, and should have limited my question to the invention of the modern, collapsible tent soft box.<br>

It seems like there are multiple patents for such devices. Even these days, manufacturers seem to file design patents to cover their specific softbox design, which is different from a device or process patent for the invention of the concept.<br>

The earliest references I have found to crude attempts at creating softboxes seem to date to the late 1960s. But that seems to have been a time when many studios were still using large aluminum recovers and bounce diffusion. <br>

As John Tonai's great link describes, Gary Regester's efforts seem to correlate other evidence of early softbox usage. That his softbox design was the foundation of Chimera makes a lot of sense, especially since Chimera remains the Ferrari of lighting and light modifier companies.<br /><br />Surely the softbox was a revolutionary invention. The ongoing invention of supporting devices really helps to make modern studio lighting efficient. For example, I use and really like the Calumet folding "Quickring" softbox connector. It is one of those little things that proves photographers maintain an inventive mindset.</p>

[dhbebb]

<p><em>I wouldn't be the least bit surprised that they existed in 1913, but I don't think, in all honesty that the tall light shown in the drawing, could be called a "Softbox".</em><br>

Neither do I - that's why I called it a soft light. A totally enclosed softbox with a carbon arc inside would have burned up really fast. Another form of soft lighting (also not strictly a softbox) was the studio trough - Kodak sold them.among others, I can't find a picture, it's a long time since I saw one, but IIRC they were about 50 cm wide and came in various lengths to accommodate 3, 5 or maybe even more 500 W Photopearl bulbs - the 3-bulb version was about 120 cm long. The lazy portrait photographer could get very soft lighting very easily by arranging 3 of these lights in an "archway" at either side of and above the camera. Like all other lights of their era, they were HOT.</p>

[nathan_stiles]

<blockquote>

<p>Nathan: No I don't have a "school" paper to write!<br /><br />Most people here in the know, know I have been around photo.net for years.<br /> I won't even bother getting into my studio photography resume.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Easy Summer, no need for passive snarkiness. Your name doesn't ring a bell and you demanded citation and asked a question that is unusual for this forum. So, it sounded like someone had an essay and deadline, whether you did or not. Regardless, carry on as you like: I'd guess that the answer is much like the noodle-- several people claim its invention. With bullseye laterns, chinese paper lamps, and candle boxes that predate the camera, it seems like a sticky wicket.</p>

[summerleif]

<p>With your pointless, off topic, non-responsive comments, <a href="../photodb/user?user_id=2111753">Nathan Stiles</a>, if I seemed "snarky" to you, which I wasn't, you deserved it. But what you you've probably more likely proved, is that you are the sort of forum dolt who is best ignored, and who is most likely only to prove my point if you respond, since you are likely to reinforce the fact that, unlike people such as John Tonai, you have nothing beneficial to contribute to this thread.</p>

[nathan_stiles]

<p>Summer, quit trolling. Snarky has nothing to do with being deserved or not, and I addressed your question above. I believe that the softbox was created, in some form or another, by several people in several places, around the same time. I think you'll be hard to find a definitive answer from a credible source.</p>

<p>John's response addressed your question, but was hardly a concrete answer. We have David Bobbington's link to a softbox from 1913! Jeffery remarked on a patent in 1939. I believe my previous comment is on topic and a reasonable conclusion based on the information provided.</p>

[summerleif]

<p>You just proved it is you who is the troll and you proved the points in my previous post, as I predicted!<br>

<strong>snarky</strong>: Adjective:(of a person, words, or a mood) Critical; cutting; testy.<br>

https://www.google.com/search?q=snarky</p>

<p> </p>

[summerleif]

<p><strong>@Johan Tonai:</strong> Thank you very much again for your great answer to my question.<br /><br />I hoped it would be an intriguing question for other studio photographers, especially since softboxes are a tool we use daily in our work. As some others here noted, digging around with google did NOT turn up any easy answers about the invention of the modern collapsible tent softbox. Most of the readily available patent listings for modern collapsible tent softboxes are for so called "design" patents for specific implements by current manufacturers, but I had trouble finding an original "device" patent for the concept, and I still haven't.<br>

The paragraph quote below from your link, provides quality evidence about at least one of the people involved in implementing commercialized versions of this indispensable tool.<br /><br /><br>

<a href="http://www.plumeltd.com/bio.html">http://www.plumeltd.com/bio.html</a><br>

<em>In 1979, unable to find an acceptable light diffusion product to bring a studio quality lighting to photography on the road, Gary decided to create his own solution based on the design of a mountain tent. After numerous "light tent" prototypes, Gary together with Tom Frost, a world class mountain climber and outdoor equipment designer, formed the company, CHIMERA, which successfully introduced portable light diffusion tents to advertising, portrait photographers and cinematographers throughout the world.</em><br>

<em><br /></em><br>

<strong>Once again thank you to John Tonai for your excellent response<em>.</em></strong><em><br /></em></p>

[nathan_stiles]

<blockquote>

<p>You just proved it is you who is the troll</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>How? I may be a dolt, b/c I have no idea how I proved I'm the troll. Before the thread get's locked, please tell me. I've not told you that "people in the know" would know I've been on here for years, or called you a dolt or any other name. Neither have I failed to give my opinion of the answer to your question.</p>

<p>While you are responding, I'm also a little confused as how the definition above relates to my "Snarky has nothing to do with being deserved or not..." comment.</p>

[john tonai]

<p>I'm not sure why this has turned into a name-calling fight. The question was a pretty good one. I have no idea who Summer was, but by clicking on her name and looking at her responses to other postings, realized that she wasn't just a lazy student. Maybe she was researching an article, or maybe she didn't want wild-ass guesses or pure opinions without fact.</p>

<p>Also, Nathan, the 1913 patent was for a self-contained electric light source using a carbon arc light source. If you look carefully, you can see that the light units are open and the housing is just a reflector, not a diffuser. Using a carbon arc source would burn up a diffuser. Not a precursor to a softbox.</p>

[dhbebb]

<p><em> Using a carbon arc source would burn up a diffuser. Not a precursor to a softbox.</em><br>

Actually it is, John, and I'll tell you why (after first emphasizing yet again that I would call the 1913 device a soft LIGHT, not a softBOX). Believe it or not, it is possible by careful design (including an adjustment for the bulb position) to create an open-fronted light with a wide shallow reflector which gives lighting which is just as even as a softbox. I know because I've got one, made by Kaiser, bought while I was living in Germany, which has a 60 cm reflector of the type I describe. Rough testing by shining the light onto a white wall, and also meter measurements, confirm how even the light is. I once also had a Paterson White Interfit soft light whose light output was so patchy that I simply threw the thing out.<br>

To get back to the OP's question, I would say it is utterly impossible to say who invented the softbox, since to do this you would merely have to realize that strobes run a lot cooler than tungsten bulbs and that it would therefore be OK to put a fabric diffuser directly over the front of a soft light, turning it as if by magic into a softbox. I am sure that for a long time prior to this movie people were using large scrims (pieces of white cotton on a frame) and firing big lights through these to get diffuse sidelight over a large area, but obviously they had to leave a physical gap between the scrim and the lights to allow cooling.<br>

PS - light tents. There seems to be a claim 3 posts up that someone invented a light tent in 1979. I worked for the V&A Museum in London from 1970 to 1972 and was involved in photographing a lot of silverware. The standard technique was (and had been for a long time) to build a light tent out of white background paper - I am sure people who did this kind of work all the time would have thought of getting out the sewing machine and making a tent out of fabric.</p>